Changing Times
by Kaiyo No Hime
Summary: Sasuke has slapped his wife, Hinata, leading to the breakdown of his younger son Akira. Chapter 10 Naruto talks with Sasuke [Complete]
1. Honey and Steel

If I owned Naruto I wouldn't be living off of cafeteria food at my college, now would I? >. All other characters are original, and mine. But you can borrow them if you e-mail me and ask politely. . 

Changing Times 

Chapter One: Honey and Steel 

The little girl ran around the playground, shrieking and giggling as the game of tag continued despite the galring sun and killing heat. She was the youngest of the group, a mix of children between fifteen and five years old. But she was still the fastest, and the clumsiest. She was never tagged because someone caught up with her inhuman speed, no one had ever caught up with her since she had learned to walk, but usually because she would trip and fall while taunting the other children. 

And then she would make a great show of catching up to everyone who was running, and choose who she wanted to be 'it' next. She usually chose a shy, white eyed boy that was cowering behind the slide, trying to avoid them. And then he would pout, and call her cruel names, and she would giggle and slap him before running off to join the other children while they ran from him. 

"Setsuko," Kakashi called, pocketing his book. The orange was fading, and he had had to repaint the warning symbol on the cover two years before, but he didn't mind. He knew what everyone in the village thought of him reading such material while taking care of the little girl, but he didn't care. It was his life, and he never let her see the questioinable material, "Come on Setsuko, it's time to go home." 

"But Papa! I want to play!" the little girl pouted, her rosy grin dropping as her bright blue eyes watered with her so called 'Puppy-Dog Eyes no Justu'. Kakashi smiled, and held out his hand, beckoning her to come over and head home. 

"I know. But you have school tomorrow. You wouldn't want to miss that, would you? Of course, you don't _have_ to be a ninja, I suppose. You would make a lovely ramen cook..." Kakashi trailed off with a grin as the tiny child, her blonde locks bouncing in twin pigtails behind her, rushed up to grab his hand and start tugging him toward home. 

"Come on Papa! I have to eat dinner, and take a bath, and brush my teeth! Tomorrow I have school, and I can't miss that! I'll be the greatest ninja in the entire Village, and I'll become the next Hokage!" Setsuko pumped her fist into the air before dashing off with Kakashi in tow. 

The silver haired jounin could only grin from beneath his mask, knowing exactly where her personality came from. 

Iruka sighed as he looked over the class roster, knowing exactly who was in his class, and who their parents were. All were the children of former students, unavoidable by this point in his career. Greying hair and crows feet were more than enough to prove it. But what he hated the most was being able to remember the funerals for the parents of some of these children. Orphans and broken families were in the majority. 

The ninja lifestyle was too harsh for his liking. He wished he could shout at all of his students, and beseech them to become farmers, chefs, and tailors. But not ninjas, where a young death was the most likely. 

"U-zu-ma-ki?" Iruka gasped as he sounded out the syllables for the last name on the register. He hadn't expected to see the little girl in his class for many years. She was far too young to be in her last year of training. He had half hoped she would be flunked out long before now, and he would never have to deal with the pain of watching her graduate, and grow to be a ninja, always dancing with Death. 

"Sensei! He's making faces at me!" Setsuko shouted, jumping on her desk and pointing at the boy unlucky enough to sit next to her. 

"She threw a kunai at me!" the boy shouted back, glaring back. 

Iruka groaned. 

"Uzumaki, sit down! Lee, stop making faces at her!" Iruka berated, realizing that the boy, ten years old and nearly a clone of his father Rock Lee, had, in fact, NOT been making faces at Setsuko. She had just never had the misfortune to be looked at before by the eyebrows of doom. 

"Sensei! Teach us something good! I'm going to be the next Hokage you know!" Setsuko shouted, cheering herslef on. 

The other students groaned, a few familiar with her antics, most amused, others cheering the little girl on simply to feed Iruka's growing anger. 

"You may indeed be the next Hokage, Uzumaki, but right now you're _my_ student. So please take a seat and take notes _silently_," Iruka hissed between gritted teeth, trying to get a handle on his anger. He already knew that his temper would only make matters worse. 

"My Papa says that a good teacher can always learn from a good student," Setsuko said, sticking out her tongue at a shocked Iruka. 

"Papa says? But Naru-" Iruka cut himself in mid word, suddenly remembering that Kakashi was now raising the little girl. He couldn't believe that he forgotten such a fact. Hell, he hadn't even seen the tiny girl since her birth, five years before. 

Iruka hated how fast the lives of his students passed before his eyes while he stayed to teach the next shinobi generation. 

"Just sit down and try to pay attention, Uzumaki. I'm sure all of these lessons will help you to become Hokage," Iruka sighed, knowing that he had said the magic words. Now the girl would study every word the emerged from his mouth until she knew the facts backward and forward. 

Iruka made a mental note to speak with Kakashi later. 

"So, how was school today?" Kakashi asked, smiling beneath his face mask, catching the little girl in mid air as jumped at him with a giant grin. He was glad that she was having an easier time that Naruto had had as a child, even though she, too, possessed the Kyuubi. 

It seemed that some curses would simply never go away. 

"I learned nearly EVERYTHING in the world! Iruka-sensei knows even more than everything too! And I'm going to grow up to be the next Hokage! The last Hokage was a woman, you know! And," Setsuko continued to babble on about everything she had learned that day while Kakashi just smiled and nodded, eyeing a cloaked figure at the edge of the school grounds. 

He knew who the figure was, and was content to let him watch Setsuko. He had no claim on the little girl anymore, he had given that up years ago. 

"Kakashi-san?" Iruka asked, coming up behind the jounin. Sestsuko smiled, and jumped off of the man, racing off to join her friends in some childhood game. 

"She's growing up so fast, isn't she?" Kakashi sighed, waving at Setsuko as she giggled. 

"Too fast. Soon she'll be overseeing her face carved into the monument," Iruka smiled, noticing the grim line on Kakashi's lips. 

It was a sensitive topic for everyone. 

"She has a crush on the youngest Uchiha, you know. Akira, I think," Kakashi commented, knowing full well the boy in question, a mere eight years old, was in the same class as Setsuko. 

"Second youngest. Hinata had another son last year," Iruka corrected, watching in awe as Setsuko easily outraced Rock Lee's eldest. 

"Another? That makes what, six kids now? Someone should remind Sasuke that he doesn't need to repopulate his entire clan at once," Kakashi chuckled, wincing as Setsuko fell out of a tree. She would be flaunting those bruises at dinner. 

"Eight, actually. And Hinata was so hoping for a daughter. But, who knows, maybe this year. Sasuke does seem more than a little... determined in that industry. You should check up on him, he is your student after all," Iruka pointed out, much to Kakashi's annoyance. 

After all three had become Chuunin he had dropped out of contact with them. Until the sorrowful events around Setsuko's regretful plight. Kakashi could only sigh, and push the memories to the back of his mind, trying to block them out. Setsuko would come asking about them soon enough. 

"Former student. They've made their own lives for themselves, for better or for worse," Kakashi reminded his old friend, looking back toward Setsuko as she called for him. 

"Look at me Papa! Look how high I climbed all on my own!" the little girl giggled, waving from one of the top branches of the tree. 

"Excuse me for a moment Iruka," Kakashi grinned, walking toward the playground, a lecture already at the tip of his tongue, "I thought I told you not to climb so high unless I was nearby, young lady. No ramen for you tonight!" Sestsuko pouted, distracting herself a moment too long as she lost her balance. 

"Papa!" the little girl shrieked, her wails echoing through the air as she hit the ground with a sickening thud, Kakashi running as he heard the crunch of bones. 

"Sestuko!" Kakashi screamed, the children crowding around her and the cloaked man as the silver haired jounin pushed through. 

"I want my Papa! I want my Papa!" Setsuko cried, pushing away the man helping her, ignoring the mangled left arm hanging at her side. 

"Hold still," the cloaked man ordered, his voice both harsh and soft, liked honeyed steel. 

Setsuko winced as he grabbed her arm, the limb glowing as it quickly healed itself, leaving no scars or bruises. But Setsuko still screamed, trying to escape from his arms as she saw Kakashi approach. 

"Papa! It hurt!" Setsuko sobbed, Kakashi gathering her gratefully into his arms while cursing himself mentally for not paying more attention to her antics. 

"Thank you for helping _my_ daughter, Hokage-sama," Kakashi said quietly, bowing to the blonde man before him. 

"Keep a closer eye on her, Kakashi-san. It would be dreadful if something serious were to happen," the Hokage whispered, staring out at his former sensei with cold cerulean eyes, devoid of the laughter and life that had occupied them only half a decade before. 

Tsuzuku (To Be Continued) 

Author's Note: Wow, this is the first fic I've published in nearly a year. And the first Naruto fic I've ever put up before. 

I must admit that my writing style is much different than what I normally see in the Naruto category. I don't write fight scenes well, and try to avoid them at all costs if I can. I also don't care for happy endings. They tend to annoy me. >. And I'm afraid my love of Gaara tends to override whatever main idea I was thinking of in a fic. 

But I do promise to try hard on this fic, and get at least one chapter a week completed. 

So leave kind reviews, and I'll try to write a good story. . 


	2. The needs of the many

If I owned Naruto I wouldn't be living off of cafeteria food at my college, now would I? >. All other characters are original, and mine. But you can borrow them if you e-mail me and ask politely. . 

Changing Times 

Chapter Two: The needs of the many 

The sixth Hokage stood above the monument, watching the summer sun fade over the village below him, his lips held in a grim line, his eyes in a continuing frown. Only the golden locks surrounding his face showed any sign of cheer upon his dark demeanor. 

He had sworn to become Hokage, like so many before him, at a young age. And he had spent his entire life chasing that one goal, sacrificing everything to obtain it. Only to wonder if he had chosen the right path, now that he had crossed the finishing life. 

Naruto was quite sure now that he had, indeed, chosen wrong. 

Every time he saw his daughter laughing in the park, shouting and waving at his former sensei. Every time she skinned her knee, and went crying to the silver haired man. Every time she cried out for her father, especially then, and would look only for Kakashi. 

"Hokage-sama. They told me I could find you up here," the crimson haired man, Kazekage, smirked, approaching his old friend from behind. 

"Gaara-san. It's been a long time. What brings you this far North?" Naruto asked, not bothering to address him by his formal title. 

Gaara scowled at first, and then laughed. He had learned a lot from Naruto over the years, but now it seemed it was Naruto who was more in need of learning from him. 

"Did you forget? The Chuunin exams are in a week. It would be rather odd if I _wasn't_ here," Gaara slung his arm around his friends shoulders, "Now, tell me, what could make you so gloomy on such a beautiful evening such as this?" 

"I am merely checking Konoha's defenses, to ensure that there are no nin's resting when they should be on active patrol," Naruto growled, shrugging Gaara's arm from his shoulders with a cold glare. 

Gaara slapped Naruto, hard, across the face. 

"Shut the fuck up and quit lying! What the hell happened to you!? Six months ago you were cold, but now you're a fucking pile of ice! What the HELL happened!?" Gaara spat, growling at his friends, green eyes flashing dangerously in the sunset, "And don't you _dare_ lie to me!" 

Naruto stared at the ground, bringing a callused hand to his face, his eyes wide as blood dripped from his mouth. Tears following the blood onto the ground. 

"She asked for her Papa.... and she reached for Kakashi. She couldn't even recognize me," Naruto sobbed, falling to his knees weakly, clenching his fist on the ground as the story from the previous day escaped his lips, tears staining his face. 

Gaara sighed, collecting him into his arms with a grim expression, trying to comfort the blonde without knowing how. The red haired boy had never really learned how to deal with other people's sorrow. He had never really known how to express it himself. It was too foreign to him, too odd. 

"There there, Naruto, there there. You did what you thought was best at the time. You gave her up to a good man so she could have a normal life, a safe life. A good life," Gaara whispered, running soothing circles on his friends back as the twilight faded, leaving the two in darkness. 

"Did I? Did I really? I never even tried to raise her. I held her at Tenten's funeral, and then I handed her to Kakashi-sensei. And I ran!" Naruto sobbed harder, his words blurring with his tears, "And I ran from my duty! I'm her father, and I couldn't even be responsible enough to raise her!" 

"You know that's not true, Naruto. You did what you thought was best," Gaara sighed, trying to ignore the chill that was seeping in through his damp shirt, "The life of a child of a Kage is too hard. You and I should both know that. But now she's happy, isn't that for the best?" 

Naruto shook his head, bright blue eyes peering up at his friend. 

"But I miss her so bad," Naruto hiccuped, trying to clear the tears from his eyes. 

"Who do you miss, Naruto? Tenten, or Setsuko? How can you miss someone, something, if you never had it to begin with?" Gaara asked, slapping himself mentally. He knew that showing Naruto the truth would break the poor man's heart, but it had to be done. Konoha would never survive with a weak Kage that was still doubting a decision rightfully made so many years before. 

"I...I... I..." Naruto's eyes looked up at his friend wildly as he realized that he didn't know the answer. And then he blinked, bright cerulean shifting to deep, cold twilight, "I miss Tenten." 

"I know, but you have to get over her death. She was a ninja, she knew what she was doing. You're Hokage, you know what you must do." Gaara reminded him, his eyes equally as cold. 

"I must be strong for the Village, so that it grows and prospers. I must not falter in choices so that it does not collapse," Naruto hissed, standing up, a stray breeze shipping the folds of his robe about in the night air. 

"The needs of the many over the needs of the few," Gaara whispered, joining his friend as they both observed the darkness drape warmly across the Village below, their cold eyes protecting the unknowing people below. 

Tsuzuku (To be continued) 

Author's Note: Before any of the ranting and screaming starts, I can say only this. Yes, Tenten was Setsuko's mother. Get over it. 

And no, there will be no Gaara x Naruto yaoi. At least not in this fic anyway. Naruto gave up everything to become the Hokage, including his wife. He isn't going to turn around and decide that having Gaara as his lover would be okay when raising his own daughter isn't even part of his life. .; 

You have to love how fucked up responsibility is to some people, eh. 

Oh yes, I just realized that the word ninja is read as a misspelled word by my spell check. . 


	3. He wore no shoes

If I owned Naruto I wouldn't be living off of cafeteria food at my college, now would I? >. All other characters are original, and mine. But you can borrow them if you e-mail me and ask politely. . 

Changing Times 

Chapter Three: He wore no shoes 

The little boy hid behind the doorway, too shy to approach his mother as she talked with his father. Or yelled, as others would say. He never knew why his parents always fought, even though they seemed to love each other when in public. 

His mother's personality was too strong, his father's too reserved. 

They would always clash. 

"Mama?" Akira whispered, coming out from behind the door frame, his index fingers poking at each other as he concentrated his sight downwards. 

"Look up when you're speaking to someone, and don't mumble," his father ordered, his voice stern. 

"Don't yell at him!" his mother snapped back, her white eyes glowing in anger, "See, this is _exactly_ what I mean! You're too harsh on him, on all of them! I refuse to have anymore children with you acting like such a insensitive jerk!" 

"I don't need you telling me what to do! Don't make me remind you that _I_ am head of _this_ clan!" his father growled, raising his hand as if to slap her. 

"Go ahead, Sasuke, slap me!" Hinata smirked when Sasuke lowered his hand, his sharingan still blazing with anger, "Just as I thought, you're nothing but a blow hard!" 

"I'll show you blow hard, bitch," Sasuke snapped, slapping Hinata, sending her to the floor with the force. 

Akira just stared at the scene, his eyes wide in terror. He had seen his parents argue before, but he had never seen them actually use physical force on one another. And now, there it was, his father standing triumphantly, a smirk of victory spread across his face, over his unconscious mother. 

"Hey Pops, have you seen...." Akira's eldest brother, Musashi, paused as he walked into the room, his obsidian eyes going wide, "Mom!" 

"Father hit Mama. Father hit Mama. Father hit Mama! FATHER HIT MAMA!!! FATHER HIT MAMA!!!!" Akira began to scream, pulling at his hair as his milky eyes glowed red, two lone sharingan circling wildly within. 

"Akira," Sasuke whispered, watching his second youngest son in awe, ignoring the moans below him as Hinata began to rouse, Musashi helping her up, "Akira, calm down." 

"Akira, sweetie, calm down. I'm all right, see?" Hinata winced, leaning on her eldest son, staring over at the young boy as he fell to his knees. "Sasuke, get the fuck out of here before I kill you myself!" she hissed between her teeth, glaring at her husband. 

"I will NOT leave! He is my son too. Or at least he was. No son of mine would lose control so easily," Sasuke growled, glaring at the little boy as he approached him. 

"Pops, don't!" Musashi yelped, realizing that his father would probably slap his younger brother as well. 

"FATHER HIT MAMA!" Akira screamed, flying out of the room via the window, dashing down the street into the night, his family staring at the mangled glass in shock. 

"Akira," Hinata whispered, falling to her knees, tears streaming down her face, "Sasuke, if you do not leave _my_ house this minute I _swear_ I will kill you, and take my _Hyuuga_ children back to the main house, where they belong!" 

Sasuke looked down at his wife, and realized that it would be wise to do as she said. Though they had argued a lot over the years, and more than a fair share of blows had been exchanged on both sides, he knew that Hinata would kill him this time. Never before had their children been threatened, and she had never been at her most vicious until she had children to defend from the dangers of the world. 

His brother Itachi had died learning that fact the hard way, by her hands alone. 

"Yes, Hinata," Sasuke whispered, turning and leaving the room, not looking back, even as his heart broke hearing her begin to sob. 

"Musashi, gather your brothers. Go find Akira," Hinata whispered, hugging herself as the cool summer's breeze washed over her, tears streaming down her pale face. 

"But Papa, it's not _that_ dark outside! Why can't I go and play?" Sestsuko pouted, tugging on Kakashi's sleeve. 

The jounin chuckled to himself, still glowering at the little girl. He had forbade her from playing outside for the rest of the day after her tree climbing stunt that afternoon. She knew the rules, that she was never to climb above ten feet without him close enough to catch her. It wasn't the first time she had slipped from a precarious perch. 

"No, Setsuko. I told you before, unless you are going to follow the rules I put down, you are not going to be allowed outside," Kakashi reprimanded her, sighing as her eyes began to tear up. 

"But Akira's outside!" Setsuko began to cry, tears rolling down her face. 

Kakashi gave her a sideways glance, and then looked out the window. He had never known the little boy, or any of his siblings, to be out past sunset. He had always assumed that Hinata had forbade it. But, there Akira was, running down the road, gripping at his head, screaming. 

Screaming. 

The silver haired man opened the window deftly, and jumped down onto the road below, catching the little boy in his arms. He feared the worse already, that, once again, the Uchiha clan had fallen victim to some cruel twist of fate. 

"Father hit Mama, Father hit Mama, Father hit Mama-" Akira continued to whimper, his voice drowned out by his own sobbing as Kakashi caught him easily, lifting him off the ground. 

He wore no shoes. 

"Akira, are you all right?" Kakashi asked, mentally smacking himself, knowing that something had to be wrong to set the little boy off. 

"Father hit Mama! Father's not supposed to hit Mama! But he hit her so hard!" Akira sobbed, curling up into a little ball as Kakashi landed back in his living room, Setsuko quickly beside him. 

"What's wrong with him Papa? Why is he crying?" Setsuko asked worriedly, trying to comfort her childhood crush, petting his hair softly. 

"I don't know Setsuko. But I want you to wait here with him while I go to find out. And you are not to let anyone, and I mean _anyone_ into the house until I am back," Kakashi glared down at the little girl, "Is that clear?" 

"Yes Papa," Setsuko nodded, knowing from experience not to argue with Kakashi's tone of voice. Besides, she was too rapped up in trying to make Akira stop crying. 

'Sasuke, what stupid thing have you done now?' Kakashi thought to himself as he leapt from roof to roof, hurrying toward the Uchiha residence. 

Tsuzuku (To be continued) 

Author's Note: Sorry if the end of this chapter dragged on oddly, I was interrupted halfway through writing it. I usually write an entire chapter on the bus, in about an hour, but there was an amazing lack of traffic today. 

So I kinda lost track of where I wanted it to end. I did know that I wanted Akira to be at the Hatake residence, and Kakashi not there while Setsuko was with Akira, but I can't remember why. I'm sure I'll think of a good reason tonight, and then something horribly brutal will happen to one of the poor children. .; 

sigh That's good angst for you, the characters you like the most will suffer the worst. 

Oh, yes, I like Hinata being kick ass. It's so rare that you see her so cool, so I just had to have her being the killer of Itachi. And yes, don't doubt that she did it, Mom's can do some amazing things sometimes when their children are threatened. 

And if anyone would like to e-mail me personally about this fic, and some have already done, I'll willingly answer you back. hitokirihimeyahoo.com 

If you think you can write a better summary than mine, as mine sucks, please e-mail it to me. . 


	4. Are Mama's nice?

If I owned Naruto I wouldn't be living off of cafeteria food at my college, now would I? >. All other characters are original, and mine. But you can borrow them if you e-mail me and ask politely. . 

Changing Times 

Chapter Four: Are Mama's nice? 

Setsuko fretted nervously around the little boy sobbing on the couch, unsure of what to do. She knew she couldn't leave him alone, and she knew she couldn't ask anyone else to come over because her father had forbade her from letting anyone else in. And, to be honest, there really wasn't anyone else she could fetch. It had simply never been taught to her what to do when one of her friends was curled up in a little ball on her couch, sobbing his heart out. 

She would have to ask Iruka-sensei later in case such a situation came up again. 

"Akira? Do you want anything to drink? Or eat? There's some leftover yakisoba in the fridge if you're hungry," Setsuko whispered, her normally brash self hiding in a corner of her mind, leaving the little girl to fend on her own. 

Akira ignored her. 

"Are you sure you don't want something? Auntie Ino told me that sweet Chrysanthemum tea makes everything feel better. And she even taught me how to make it," Setsuko ran her fingers through his hair slowly, trying to calm him, "Are you sure you don't want any?" 

"Does it," Akira sniffed, tears still streaming down his face, "Does it really make everything better?" 

"It made my arm feel better after it got stabbed by a kunai," Setsuko smiled weakly, "And it made my tummy feel better last winter when I had the flu." 

Akira looked at her for a moment, turning his head to the side as he pondered her answer, trying to push the memories of his parents' fight from his mind by concentrating on the question of tea. And, surprisingly, it was working. 

"I think I'd like some tea please," Akira whispered, his voice harsh from screaming, "I'll help you make it if you like." 

Setsuko smiled, her old confidence returning as Akira's mind began to piece itself back together. The situation was vastly improved, and she was glad for it. She had no doubt that her father would be gone for a very long time. 

"Okay. You can help me warm the honey. But I'm really good at boiling water," Setsuko giggled, pulling on Akira's sleeve as she led him into the messy kitchen. 

The rest of the Hatake household was clean, but the kitchen had escaped all attempts at order. Dirty dishes were strewn about the counter, and a stack of used ramen cups was leaning precariously by the sink. Yellowing paint was flaking from the ceiling, and the blue linoleum was in desperate need of replacing. 

Setsuko ignored the mess, climbing the little step stool in front of the sink to fill the tea kettle, placing it gently on the stove to boil. 

"You kitchen is scary," Akira whispered, ogling the sight of the disaster zone around him. 

Back home, his mother would have grounded him and his brothers for months if they had dared let their kitchen look like this. And his father would have made all seven of them, the baby Tenchi too young, run laps around the village for weeks. 

"Yeah, but it's home. Papa says that it looks better to have a clean house and a well lived kitchen than the other way around, but I think he just hates doing dishes," Setsuko giggled, pulling two clean mugs from the cupboard by the sink, and a stiff bottle of honey from the pantry. 

"What's that?" Akira asked curiously, pointing at the hardened yellow remains within the container. 

"It's honey. But it got old and crystallized. Get a pot of water, will ya, I'll warm it up," Setsuko grinned, turning on another of the stove tops as he handed her a pot, dropping the honey container in. 

"Where's your Mama?" Akira asked suddenly, realizing that the little girl had never mentioned her mother before, nor had he ever seen any sign of the woman. 

Pictures of Kakashi and Setsuko lined the walls, showing evidence of the eight years of her life, but not one of them contained her mother. Many other woman, mostly friends taking care of Setsuko while Kakashi was out on long missions, but never the little girl's mother. 

"My Mama died when I was born. Papa says that she went to the happiest place to ever have existed because she got to see me once before she died," Setsuko whispered, tears pricking at the sides of her eyes, blurring her vision. 

"I'm sorry. My father tried killing my Mama," Akira whispered, sitting down on the floor, his arms around his knees. 

"Your Papa is a bad man?" Setsuko asked, ignoring the water kettle's screeches as it signaled the water was boiled. 

"No. Yes. Maybe. I don't know, I'm so confused. Father and Mama have always fought before, but then... he tried killing her tonight. Does that make him a bad man?" Akira asked solemnly, Setsuko sitting down next to him, the glass honey jar shattering in the boiling pot of water above. 

"Ninjas are supposed to kill only when told or hired to do so, unless their lives are in danger. But if your father wasn't told to kill your Mama, then that makes him bad. Ninjas have to follow the code, or they become Missing Nin's, and the Hunter Nin's are sent to kill them," Setsuko whispered, reciting what she remembered from her teachings. 

It was those words Kakashi had pounded into her when she was growing up, still leaning and perfecting the art of walking and talking, and it was those rules that her teachers had lectured her on for years throughout her formal education. In her mind, they were the very core of the Shinobi Way. 

"But I don't want my father to die. I don't want to live without a father," Akira whimpered, staring down at his hands, poking at the dirt on the floor. 

"You can have my Papa too, if you want. Papa's a good man, and he'd never try killing your Mama," Setsuko smiled, patting Akira on the head reassuringly, "And then I can have a Mama too. Are Mama's nice?" 

"My Mama is very nice. And she makes the best tempura in the entire village. But she's always making us wash the dishes, or clean our rooms. And Mama always makes sure I clean behind my ears before dinner," Akira pouted, Setsuko giggling as he pulled on his ear out of habit. 

"I think I'll like having a Mama. And you'll like having my Papa too!" Setsuko smiled, jumping up and running from the room, pulling Akira along with her. 

"Wait, what are you doing!?" Akira yelped, barely managing to avoid colliding with several walls as Sestuko stopped in front of a closed door. 

"Silly, if we're going to share Mama and Papa, Papa and I'll have to move to your house. We can't fit everyone in this tiny apartment," the little blonde girl grinned, opening the door and pulling out two old suitcases. 

"Okay! We have plenty of room at our house. But you can share a room with me if you want," Akira whispered, staring at the floor as Setsuko began piling kunai into the open suitcase. 

"I'd like that," Setsuko smiled, searching through the closet for another precious weapon. 

Tsuzuku (To be continued.) 

Author's Note: Yes, yes, I know. You're all shocked by the fight between Hinata and Sasuke from chapter 3. 

Hell, most of you are pissing mad, and accusing me of writing everyone out of character for the sake of this fic. And, to be honest, they really are nothing like they were in the manga/anime. And I'll tell you why. 

They grew up! 

Come on people, they were **TWELVE** in the manga/anime! They're in their 30's now. Yes, they changed. If you're old enough, compare what you're like now to what you were like when you were twelve. 

Is there a difference? You can bet your pretty little heads there is! So quit annoying me about it, it's not an issues that's going to change. It's a permanent situation, them being adults. . 

And yes, Setsuko and Akira did seem a little childish in this chapter. Yes, I know they're in their final year at the Ninja Academy, but they're still little kids. Setsuko is five, Akira is eight for those who don't remember. 

A young child can handle adult issues, but most children will still continue to function, at some level, as a child. This chapter is a prime example. 

Setsuko and Akira are both highly trained killing machines, but they're still little kids at heart. They just know at least a hundred ways to sneak into your house and assassinate you in the night. . 

Oh, warning, I won't be updating this fic this weekend. I have two important anime convention meetings to attend (I work Security at Con's on a regular basis) , and I will not have access to the Internet, or my laptop, until late Sunday evening, when I'm just going to go to bed. The fic will be updated Friday morning, and either Monday morning or Monday evening/Tuesday morning, depending. 

And remember, nice, long, well written reviews ALWAYS inspire an author. . 


	5. Family

If I owned Naruto I wouldn't be living off of cafeteria food at my college, now would I? >. All other characters are original, and mine. But you can borrow them if you e-mail me and ask politely. . 

Oh, slight yaoi warning for this chapter. Nothing steamy, it's just a relationship, so I promise not to expose anyone to anything that sickens some of you too much. But, if you really can't stand yaoi in the slightest, even the mere mention of it, I suggest not reading this chapter. There is _kissing_. . 

Changing Times 

Chapter Five: Family 

Neji groaned as the door bell was rung again, rolling over to stare at the clock, and cursing under his breath. He had just gotten back from a a particularly long ANBU mission, and had finally eased himself between clean, bug free covers. 

Needless to say, he did _not_ want to get up. 

"Shino, you get it," Neji moaned, nudging at his husband. 

"Takeshi's your son too, you kill him," Shino mumbled, nibbling at Neji's arm. 

Neji sighed, realizing that Shino, once this near a decent sleep, would not be roused for anything less than screams of blood and murder. Which Neji was actually thinking of doing simply so that he wouldn't have to get out of bed, but the door bell rang once again. 

"Stupid brat, he's old enough to buy his own groceries!" Neji swore, grabbing a robe from beside the bed as he shuffled out of the room, brushing hair out of his eyes. 

"Takeshi, buy your own damn food... Zatoichi? Kaneda?" Neji stopped, his anger dissipating quickly as he looked over two of Hinata's sons. 

He was surprised to see the two standing there, especially Zatoichi. Hinata rarely let the thirteen year old out of the house, claiming his blindness as an excuse to shield him from the real world, even if everyone else knew that was a pathetic lie. Zatoichi was a better martial artist than even Neji had been at that age. But his younger brother, Kaneda, was never far from his side, just to make sure nothing ill befell him. 

"Sorry to wake you, Uncle Neji, but Mother and Father have had a fight, and Akira has disappeared. Have you seen him?" Zatoichi inquired, his voice soft and strong. 

"What did Sasuke do this time?" Neji groaned, ushering the two children into the house with a yawn. 

"Father did a very bad thing," Kaneda hissed, gritting his teeth as Neji's eyebrows rose questioningly. 

He knew that Sasuke was not well loved amongst his children. His obsession with rebuilding the Uchiha's legacy of power and supremacy in the village ran too deep in his blood, and his training. But Neji knew, too, that Hinata gave as good as she got when he yelled a little too loudly a little too much at their children, her temper more intense since she had married the man. 

"How badly did Hinata hurt him?" Neji asked, closing his bedroom door before either could hear Shino's snores. 

"Mother kicked Father out of the house, and declared us Hyuuga's," Zatoichi explained, sitting down on the couch, his brother next to him, moving a glass away from the edge of the coffee table. 

"Declared you to be Hyuuga's? That must have been one damn fight," Neji whistled, tying a spare bandanna around his curse seal, noticing Kaneda eyeing it grimly. 

Kaneda had killed three Hyuuga ANBU when they had come to place the curse on Zatoichi three years before. Zatoichi had killed five, and Hinata two more. Hinata's sister had stopped attempting to place the curse seal on the children after that. The lives of over twenty ANBU spent trying, in vain, to seal the children was simply too pricey. 

Sasuke threatening to slaughter the entire Hyuuga clan if they tried to curse his children also lent a decisive edge to the decision. 

"Father hit Mother during a fight, and Akira witnessed the slap. It was hard, and Mother was unconscious, she's still a bit sick. She's pregnant again," Zatoichi explained, and Neji nodded, "But Akira had a complete mental break down. His sharingan awakened, and Father was going to slap him. That's when he went out the window, and when Mother kicked Father out," 

"About damn time," Kaneda hissed, cracking his knuckles. 

"I'm sorry, but I haven't seen Akira, or Sasuke. Try Iruka, his door is always open when his students come crying," Neji offered, leading the two out of the house once again. 

As much as he cared for his cousin, and her children, he really needed a good night of sleep. 

"Thank you, Uncle Neji. We'll inform you directly when we find Akira," Zatoichi bowed politely, "Be sure to slap Father if you see him." 

"I'm sure I can greet him with the proper.... response," Neji smiled, shutting the door and dead bolting it behind him. 

"What's going on?" Shino yawned, stumbling out of the bedroom. 

"Sasuke pissed off Hinata. He nearly hit Akira," Neji sighed, sinking down to the ground, "What are you doing out of bed?" 

"It was cold without you," Shino explained sheepishly, gathering the exhausted ANBU into his arms, and heading back to bed, Neji already asleep. 

Kakashi looked at the shattered wreckage of the window, amazed that Akira hadn't been cut by the debri. The little boy was, considering the situation, incredibly lucky. Of course, Kakashi reminded himself, he would have been even luckier if he had never been involved in such a catastrophe in the first place. 

"Kakashi-san? What are you doing here?" Hinata asked, drying her eyes with a handkerchief as she looked out the window. 

"I have Akira at my place, with Setsuko," Kakashi reassured her, knowing that all she wanted to know was about her son. 

"Good, good. Thank you Kakashi, but could you take care of him for the night? It's already past his bed time, and I don't want to disturb him," Hinata whispered, playing with her handkerchief. 

"Hinata, what happened here?" Kakashi asked, turning to face the quite woman, "Why was Akira running down the street, screaming?" 

Tsuzuku (To be continued) 

Author's Note: Yeah, yeah, I know. There was mention of yaoi in this chapter! Deal with it. I happen to think Neji and Shino make an adorable couple. . 

But yeah, that's about the only yaoi in this story. So no Sasuke x Naruto later on, don't worry. .; 

And no, there's no Naruto x Hinata. I don't know how I made some readers think that, I really don't. Explanations would be really welcome, please. . 

I had to laugh when I wrote Neji, I really did. After I saw Neji for the first time I thought he was cute. And then I saw his fight with Hinata in the Chuunin Exams, and I was pissed. I hated him for the longest time after that, but I got over it. I heard his his story, and I really felt sorry for him. 

I feel sorry for all children who lose their parents young. My mother's death tore me apart for years, and I'm still sensitive about it. 

But I decided that Neji would get over it. He grew up, realized that Hinata had nothing to do with his father's death, and grew to like Hinata as a little sister. And had to put up with having eight, soon to be nine, kids calling him Uncle Neji. . 

I'll give Takeshi, Neji and Shino's son, a better explanation in later chapters. But, be assured, there was no male pregnancy. He was adopted, so you can all sleep safe at night without worrying about the physics of something like that. . 

And, for those of you who noticed, yes, I did get Zatoichi's name from the legend of Zatoichi, the blind sword master. I don't really know the legend, though. Just that he was really freakin' cool. . 

Remember, I won't be updating tomorrow (unless there's a miracle, and I do manage to write another chapter during the anime festival and the two convention meetings. But don't hold your breath.), due to a locally hosted Anime Festival, two Convention Meetings, and some much needed sleep. . 

But I expect a LOT of reviews when I check my e-mail again on Monday! . 


	6. Kunai

If I owned Naruto I wouldn't be living off of cafeteria food at my college, now would I? >. All other characters are original, and mine. But you can borrow them if you e-mail me and ask politely. . 

Changing Times 

Chapter Six: Kunai 

Setsuko stared at the front door, her eyes tracing the age worn wood at she fidgeted nervously, the old suitcase resting on the ground next to her as she tried to decide what to do. Kakashi had been quite clear when he had told her not to let anyone _in_ the house, but he had said nothing about her _leaving_ the house. 

So, technically speaking, she wasn't actually _disobeying_ her father. Just working around what he hadn't said. So he really couldn't be mad at her later. 

"What's wrong, Setsuko?" Akira asked, watching his blonde friend working out the problem in her mind. 

"Absolutely nothing!" Setsuko grinned, flashing a victory sign as her hand went to the door knob, the door bell ringing simultaneously. 

"Who is it?" Akira whispered, hiding behind Setsuko as she peered through the window shades, her face going white. 

"It's your bad Papa!" she peeped, grabbing the little boy and dashing behind the couch, Sasuke pounding on the door now. 

"He's going to kill us, just like he tried killing Mama!" Akira cried as he clutched at Setsuko's dark gi, trying to make himself smaller. 

Setsuko, on the other hand, bristled in anger, her teeth on edge as she drew several kunai. Her Papa had ordered her, specifically, to not let _anyone_ into the house, and that anyone included Sasuke. Especially Sasuke, in her eyes. 

"Kakashi-sensei, could you let me in? I just need a place to crash for the night," Sasuke called from the other side of the door, completely clue less as to the identity of the inhabitants. With a shrug the ANBU pulled out a lock picking set, and quickly set to work, figuring his old teacher couldn't hear him. 

"When he opens the door, we attack! And then we kill him for trying to kill your-our Mama," Setsuko whispered, correcting herself in mid-sentence as she handed Akira several kunai. 

Akira nodded, his eyes beginning to glow red as his sharingan reactivated, fury coursing through his veins at the very mention of his Mama. His father was no longer a part of his family, he had a new Papa now, a nice one. And a nice Mama who would no longer fight constantly, or have to fear for her life. The only thing standing between his old life and his new one was the man about to open the door in front of him. 

The door swung open. 

"Ka-" Sasuke was cut off as the two figures came flying out from behind the couch at superhuman speeds, weapon edges flashing dangerously in the dim light. 

The older man reacted instinctively, just as he had on every ANBU mission he had ever carried out. The death of his enemies was better than his own death. And a quick kill ensured a short fight. 

Sasuke's sharingan flared, his eyes tracking movement and reacting with similar intent, pinning one victim to the other on the wall, blood flying as his kunai sliced easily through flesh, his victims not even letting out a scream. He wondered briefly why they had attacked him, inside of Kakashi's house when he took the time to investigate their identities closer. 

His face went pale when he realized who they were. Setsuko's pale locks were stained with her own blood, the crimson liquid dripping from the three gaping wounds in her chest. The kunai pinned her to Akira, trapping them both on the wall. 

Sasuke swore as he tried to free them, noticing then his son's condition, realizing that the young boy must have, in the few moments while the kunai left his hands, protected Setsuko. There was no way he could have caught the other five kunai with his body unless he had moved toward them. 

"Akira! Why!? Why?" Sasuke whispered, hugging the limp body, ignoring the bloody stains that coated his clothes, sobbing silently. 

"Se-tsu-ko-" Akira gasped, reaching toward the blonde on the floor near him, his body writhing in pain as he tried to raise his hand. 

"Shhh, save your strength Akira," Sasuke cried, gathering the two children into his arms as he dashed toward the hospital. 

"That's an explanation I wasn't expecting," Kakashi whistled, sipping thoughtfully on his tea as Hinata smiled weakly. 

"Better than another Uchiha massacre I hope," Hinata laughed, and Kakashi nodded with a smile, raising his face mask once more. 

"Much better, I am happy to sa-" the silver haired man was cut off suddenly as Musashi and his younger brother, Tetsuo, ran into the room. 

"What have I taught you two about manners!?" Hinata snapped, glowering at her two sons, both of whom were panting furiously. 

"Sorry Mama, but," Musashi gulped for air, "Father just brought Akira to the hospital." 

"He's in pretty bad shape, from what we saw," Tetsuo finished, accepting a cup of cool tea from Kakashi gratefully, "Setsuko was there too." 

Kakashi growled, disappearing out the door suddenly, the two boys collapsing near the table as Hinata followed suit, her chakra surging dangerously. 

"She's going to kill Father, isn't she?" Tetsuo asked, finally catching his breath. 

Musashi sighed, and nodded, "If Father hurt Akira and Setsuko? I don't think he'd last five seconds in a fight with either of them. And he deserves it." 

"I put down five dollars on Father lasting five minutes," Zatoichi whispered, entering the room with a pitcher of cold water. 

"I put down twenty on him lasting less than five," Kaneda grinned, carrying a platter of cups behind his blind brother. 

Musashi and Tetsuo laughed, placing their own bets, and waiting for their other brothers to join in the gambling pool, none caring that they were betting on their fathers life. 

Tsuzuku (To be continued.) 

Author's Note: Well, I certainly like that last scene. The idea of betting on the life of your father as nothing more than a joke is something I find to be highly amusing. Hell, if it wasn't for the fact that I'm writing this fic I would actually place a bet too. . 

And, as I mentioned earlier, I really do suck at writing fight scenes. Besides, ninja's fight so fast that there really isn't much to write! So Akira pinned to a wall beneath Setsuko, kunai driven through their bodies is about as good as it gets. .; So sorry, but that's life sometimes. 

If you have any questions, or comments, just review. I've noticed that I don't actually get many reviews, so I'm wondering if this story is going to turn into nothing more than a way to pass the time on the bus. 

Oh yes, please visit: http:www.kumoricon.org 

It is an Anime Convention in Portland, Oregon! You can pre register for $25 now, though the price will go up later! I will be in attendance, though I will be working the ENTIRE time. >. And we always need more Security staff. I should know, I'm Night Manager of Operations/Security from 7pm to 7am, then I turn around and become a Security mook from 7am until 7pm. It's a tough job, but someone needs to do it! .; 


	7. Surprises

If I owned Naruto I wouldn't be living off of cafeteria food at my college, now would I? >. All other characters are original, and mine. But you can borrow them if you e-mail me and ask politely. . 

Changing Times 

Chapter Seven: Surprises 

Naruto groaned as the pounding got louder, shoving his head beneath one of the many piles of paper on his desk to block out the sounds. He knew he should answer the door, it was probably very important if someone was going through all the trouble of waking him up in the middle of the night. It was his duty and responsibility as Hokage to wake up. 

"Just five more minutes," Naruto moaned, glaring blearily at the door as his secretary came bustling through, a frantic look on his face. 

"Gomen nasai, hokage-sama, but you're needed immediately at the hospital! Two children were injured earlier!" Kei insisted, completely unaware of the identities of the two in question. 

"I'll be right there. Just tell those idiot doctors to be prepared, and to stay out of my way!" Naruto snapped, throwing on a cloak as his suppressed a yawn. 

The job of a Hokage was never done. 

"Ah, Hokage-sama, glad you could make it. Both cases are critical, but we honestly don't think the little girl will make it through the night. The internal damage is too severe," the doctor explained, looking over a chart, "Hopefully you'll be able to save the little boy." 

"Do they have names?" Naruto asked with a sigh, scrubbing his hands. Tsunade had taught him everything she knew, except how to deal with doctors. 

"Uchiha Akira and," the doctor paused, looking around the nearly empty room for support as he read the second name aloud, "Uzumaki Setsuko." 

"Setsuko!?" Naruto's head snapped up as he recognized his daughter's name, ignoring every ounce of self control he contained, "Where is she!? Lead me to her, NOW!" 

"Yes, Hokage-sama, right away," the doctor mumbled, rushing out of the room with the blonde on his tail. 

Hinata stood outside of Akira's room, her hands molded to the glass as she watched the chest of her second youngest rise and fall as the respirator kept him alive. A heart monitor beeping steadily in the background as the clean white bandages wrapped around his chest bloomed crimson. Tears were rolling down her face as she realized there was absolutely nothing she could do for her son now. 

"Sasuke, I swear I will kill you with my own hands!" Hinata hissed as her husband came up behind her, resting a hand gently on her shoulder. 

"I'm sorry Hinata, I never meant for this to happen, you have to believe me," Sasuke whispered, tears streaming down his face as well, "Where's Kakashi-sensei?" 

"Busy watching his daughter die because of _you_!" Hinata screamed, slapping the man to the ground, slamming her foot into his chest, "Akira thought you were trying to kill me! That's why he left!" 

"Hinata, please," Sasuke whimpered, curling up into a protective ball as she continued her vicious siege. 

"You ruined my family! You tried killing my child! You aren't my husband any longer, you monster! You're worse that your brother!" Hinata screeched, her voice echoing down the hallway 

Kakashi wiped the tears away from his single visible eye, knowing that soon his head band would be soaked with salt. But he, too, was powerless to do anything for the pale child lying inside the room, doctors and nurses rushing excitedly around her, trying to stop the bleeding. 

But it was hopeless, and the jounin knew it. The wounds were too severe, too deep. Sasuke's kunai had struck home, though not accurately. Setsuko would soon be dead, and he would be alone in the world, again. 

"Naruto?" Kakashi gasped as he watched his former pupil burst into the room, throwing doctors and nurses to the side as he quickly began forming complex hand signs, ignoring the glowing light around him and the girl. 

And, to the silver haired man's amazement, it was working. The flesh around the tiny child's wounds was beginning to knit itself together, the blood stopping. But Naruto was beginning to look worse for wear, sweat streaming down his forehead as he collapsed onto the bed next to his child, his eyes closing weakly. 

"God damn it," Kakashi cursed, realizing that Naruto had drained himself of everything he had just to heal the little girl. 

The doctors dove to the side once more as he burst into the room, shaking the blonde man lying on the bed angrily, thankful that he had been able to save his daughter. And Kakashi wondered briefly if he was, in fact, going to lose the little girl, but not to the bitter fate he had once feared. 

"I thought I told you to take care of her," Naruto whispered, leaning heavily on his former teacher as he stood, his feet threatening to give way beneath him, "Where's the Uchiha boy?" 

"Don't be insane! You'll die!" Kakashi hissed, shaking the weakened man. 

"It's not time for me to die yet," Naruto winced, "I haven't passed on the title of Hokage to her yet." 

Kakashi stared at the man, his eye wide in shock as he watched him limp from the room. All these years he claimed to be his mentor and teacher, and yet he still knew nothing about him. He had watched the little bright eyed boy go from the trickster of the town, the most energetic being within the country, to the cold faced man limping down the corridor, his energy nearly gone. 

He could only wonder if he had ever known him to begin with, or if Naruto had always been so cold and determined, his mask only falling apart after his beloved Tenten's death. 

"Papa?" Setsuko whispered, her eyes fluttering open as Kakashi returned to her side. 

"Don't worry, precious, Papa is right here," 

"You gave up so much, Naruto. I can only hope to be as strong as you, too," Gaara whispered, watching the blonde limp down the hallway silently, tears in his eyes. 

Tsuzuku (To be continued.) 

Author's Notes: Wow, that was a fun chapter, wasn't it! Angst, drama, Hinata beating the shit out of Sasuke, and mysterious words from Gaara. 

I can almost hear the theme music behind me cueing the 'dun dun dun'! . 

I don't really have much to say this chapter. Most of the questions about why Naruto is already running out of energy will be answered in the next one, or later after that. I haven't decided yet. The next chapter will probably be either something to do with Akira, or something to do with Gaara. I haven't made up my mind yet. 

Once again, www.kumoricon.org! Please volunteer as staff! 

And, if you have a question about the fic, leave a review or e-mail me at hitokirihimeyahoo.com! . 


	8. Memories

If I owned Naruto I wouldn't be living off of cafeteria food at my college, now would I? >. All other characters are original, and mine. But you can borrow them if you e-mail me and ask politely. . 

Changing Times 

Chapter Eight: Memories 

Gai Lee sighed tiredly as he approached home, exhaustion written clearly in his young eyes. A light flickered in the kitchen, a sure sign that his younger sister, Kyoko, was cooking dinner. Undoubtedly she had just arrived home from strenuous training moments before. 

And, undoubtedly, she would burn the rice, the soup would be watery, and nothing else edible. But he would choke it down still the same, knowing it made her smile and rest at ease that she had helped. 

"I'm home," Gai sighed, kicking off his shoes and bowing to the family portrait on the wall, tears in his eyes as traced over the faces of his father and mother. He had only been seven when they had died on a mission, leaving him to care for his three year old sister alone. 

"Onni-chan!" Kyoko screamed, a blur of pink and purple throwing herself at him. At six she was already the spitting image of their mother, save for her odd black tinted eyes. 

"Don't bother making me dinner tonight, Kyoko. I'm just going to hit the sack," he smiled sleepily, trying desperately to ignore the pleading tears in her eyes, "I'll wake you before I leave tomorrow, okay?" 

"Yes, Onni-chan!" Kyoko smiled, watching him disappear up the stairs. 

Shikamaru stared at the pile of food on his plate, and eyed Ino warily. She never tried buttering him up unless she had something very important to discuss, or was feeling guilty. And he knew that if Ino was feeling guilty about something that he would spend a few sleepless nights in fear of it. 

"What's wrong this time?" Shikamaru sighed, stuffing a fork of the delicious food in his mouth. 

Ino glared for a moment before a smile returned to her face, "I want a daughter Shika." 

Shikamaru stared at her for a moment, ducking as his toddler son threw a spoonful of potatoes over his head. 

"Can't you wait until Kenji's older?" Shikamaru pleaded. He honestly didn't want to deal with two squalling children in the same house at the same time. 

"There really isn't much of a choice in the matter, I just thought you should know," Ino smiled, and picked up Kenji, heading toward the stairs. 

Shikamaru's eyes went wide, and he began choking on a forkful of corn, realizing what his wife meant. And he suddenly found himself hoping that the Hokage could line up an especially long mission out of town for him. Ino had not been the most pleasant of people to be around when she had been pregnant with Kenji. 

Naruto stared at the cracks in the ceiling above him, tracing their route across the off white surface with glassy eyes. He had saved Akira and Setsuko, watched his daughter call his old sensei Papa again, and the Uchiha family fall apart in front of his eyes. And all he had to say for it was that he was tired. 

He didn't think he would ever recover from this exhaustion. This bone chilling cold that seemed to emanate from his skin alone. 

"Naruto?" Gaara's voice broke the silence of the room too easily. 

"I ordered them not to let anyone into this room," Naruto sighed, facing his friend wearily. 

"I'll remember to keep that in mind next time," Gaara grinned, pulling up a chair, "How are you doing?" 

"I feel old, Gaara. Like I've watched a thousand years unfold, and still death won't take me," Naruto sighed, examining his hand, as if it would unlock some mystic secret for him. 

"You're no older than I am. It's just the job that makes the years seem so much longer," the red headed man explained, summoning a fist of sand into his hand. 

Naruto let his hand flop back to the bed, knowing that his friend was right. The years did, indeed, have a way of stretching while he was Hokage. Skewering his view of time and reality in the process. 

It seemed only yesterday he was asking Tenten to marry him, watching her walk down the aisle toward him dressed all in white. 

The happy grin on her face when she announced she was pregnant over a bowl of morning ramen. 

The shock in her eyes when Tsunade explained that the Kyuubi had chosen their unborn daughter as its new host, leaving him with only the seal scar as a memento. 

Her loving smile as she held Setsuko in her arms, her soul fading from the world moments later, their daughter screaming in protest. 

"Naruto, are you okay?" Gaara asked seriously, breaking his blonde companion from his dark reverie. 

"I'm never all right," Naruto managed a weak smile, "You know this." 

Gaara sighed, and nodded, understanding his friend completely. Such harsh lives cursed them both, and fate showed no sign of letting up on either. 

"How is she?" Naruto asked suddenly, "Your daughter, Aoi." 

"She," Gaara hesitated for a moment, his fist closing around the sand, "She'll do well with the family I have chosen. They're good people, they'll treat her well. She'll be safe until she's strong enough to protect herself." 

Naruto nodded in understanding, knowing full well how hard it was to give up your only child so they could find a better life. But, unlike Naruto, Gaara was doubtful that he would see his little girl after the Chuunin exams, when he left for the Village of Sand once more. 

It would be easier if Aoi was raised in the peace of Konaha. 

Shino smiled from behind a the morning paper as Neji showed the tiny little girl to her new room. He really thought the child was adorable, though he would never admit it to anyone but his husband. Her silky locks of crimson hair bounced against her shoulders as she eyed her new home with the wonder and curiosity only available to young children. 

"And this will be your room, Aoi," Neji explained, opening the door to the spare bedroom with a smile. 

"All my own?" the little girl asked, her emerald eyes sparking in excitement. 

"All your own," Neji assured her, resting his hand on her head in a calming manner. 

Tsuzuku (To be continued.) 

Author's Note: Bet you didn't expect that ending, did you? . Or anything else in this chapter for that matter either. .; 

To be honest, I couldn't really figure out what to write. I'm finding myself dealing with an extremely bad case of writers block, so I decided to write a few explanations, and a few endings in. I do remember one of the two reviews I got for the last chapter requested info on what happened to Sakura, so I kindly wrote out that story. 

Sorry that she had a sad ending, but that's the life of a ninja, unfortunately. 

Oh, the phrase: "I'm never all right, you know this" isn't my own. I saw it in a very good Naruto fan fiction earlier this month, and I couldn't resist using it. If you wrote the fic in question, just know I worship that particular story. I was extremely good. . 

That's about all I have to write. If you want to leave suggestions for the next chapter, or have any questions about previous ones, just use the review button! . 


	9. Let's live

If I owned Naruto I wouldn't be living off of cafeteria food at my college, now would I? >. All other characters are original, and mine. But you can borrow them if you e-mail me and ask politely. . 

Changing Times 

Chapter Nine: Let's live 

Zatoichi sighed, and refilled his mother's mug. She had been sulking ever since she had gotten home from the hospital, with Akira, weeks earlier. The Chuunin exams had come and gone, both Kaneda and Tetsuo passing, and no one had seen or heard from Sasuke. 

"Mother, where is Father?" Zatoichi finally asked, breaking the ice. 

Hinata glared at the tea, "I neither know or care. He is no longer a part of this family." 

"What did he do to you?" 

"He tried to kill my child," Hinata snapped, the mug quivering in her hands as her rage swiftly became apparent, chakra shattering the pot in Zatoichi's hands. 

"Don't forsake Father so easily Mother," Zatoichi whispered, "I would hate for my little sister to never know him." 

"Little sister?" Hinata gaped as her hands went to her stomach, tears in her eyes as Zatoichi left the room. 

Kenichi sighed as he opened the door, looking in on his younger brother and Setsuko. The two were staring out the window, watching the sunrise. Neither had moved much since coming home, both silent as always. Tsunade, barely functional in her old age, had said that they were both getting over the shock of Sasuke's attack in their own way, together. 

But Kenichi could only sigh, balancing the breakfast tray in his hand, coughing loudly. Setsuko huddled closer to Akira when she heard him, Akira cringing as he reached for a kunai. 

"Akira, relax, it's just me," Kenichi whispered, keeping his voice calm and even, as one would when talking to a wild animal, "I just brought breakfast." 

"Put down the tray and leave," Akira snapped, putting his arm protectively around Setsuko. 

"Mama wants to see you, Akira, she's worried." 

"We're fine. She needn't worry," Akira rasped, his hand tightening on the kunai. 

Kenichi sighed, not surprised by the reaction. Akira had become withdrawn from all human contact, save Setsuko, and vice versa. None of his brothers were this close, not even Zatoichi and Kaneda. It hurt both Kakashi and Hinata to see them like this, but they were letting the children have time to rest, and recover. 

"I'll come back for the dishes in an hour," Kenichi bowed, placing the tray on the empty table, closing the door securely behind him. 

"How is she?" Kakashi asked, coming up behind the fifteen year old chuunin. 

It had been decided early on that the best way to help the two children to adapt back to social life was to limit their contact with people to Kenichi only. And it was driving Kakashi insane to live each day without even a glimpse of his precious daughter. 

"She's the same as ever, Kakashi-san. Scared and frightened, assuming anyone but Akira is out to kill her," Kenichi sighed, leaving Kakashi to stare at the oak door, tears streaming down his face. 

Setsuko looked around nervously, her hands still embedded in the folds of Akira's shirt. After assuring herself there was no one else in the room, she stood, her blonde locks falling down her back. She had ceased tying them in pigtails after she had awoken in the hospital. 

"Akira, you should drink your cocoa before it gets cold," Setsuko whispered, handing a steaming mug to her friend, "It takes icky after it gets cold." 

"What if he comes back, Setsuko? What if he comes back and tries killing us again," Akira mumbled, sipping on his drink as Setsuko buttered pieces of toast, "What if I can't protect you next time?" 

"I can protect myself, you know. Just because I'm five doesn't mean I'm weak, Akira," Setsuko snapped, handing him the toast, "I'm just afraid, that's all. They all frighten me, what if my Papa tries killing us too?" 

"Everyone will try killing us," Akira whispered, dipping the toast in the cocoa, watching the golden strands of first light brighten to a violent lavender. 

"We could go some place far away from here, where no one knows our names," Setsuko piped up, covering her toast in strawberry jam, "We could escape, and live." 

Akira looked down at her, his mind processing vast amounts of data behind his shy white eyes, trying to figure out the odds of her idea. And, in the end, he realized that she was right. The only way to truly escape those who would try to kill them in Konoha was to run to a place where no one would have a reason to attempt to take their lives. 

"Where would we go? What ninja village would accept children as young as us without questioning our origins?" Akira asked, turning to the little girl, a smile playing on his lips. 

"It doesn't matter, just so long as we left," Setsuko smiled back, her eyes a brighter shade of blue than Akira had seen in weeks, "We could travel the world, and learn all there is to know beyond the reaches of Konoha. We could live, Akira." 

"Then let us live today, and not wait a moment longer," Akira laughed, grabbing hold of her hand and leaping out the open window, not a care in the world. 

Kenichi knocked on the door, more to give the children a warning of his entrance than actually expecting a result, yawning. He had given them an hour, as he did every morning, to eat the toast, cocoa, and fruit one of his brothers always prepared. 

"You guys done with breakfast yet, or should I come back later..." Kenichi stopped in his tracks, his eyes searching the room when he noticed their obvious disappearance, a mug of spilled cocoa on the floor, "Kakashi-san!" 

"Yes, what is it, what's wrong!?" Kakashi demanded, entering the room before Kenichi had time to finish shouting his name. 

"They're gone! They're gone!" the teenager whispered, beads of sweat collecting on his forehead as he tried to figure out what could have happened to his two charges. 

"Setsuko!" Kakashi screamed, tearing the room apart in a desperate attempt at finding his missing daughter. 

Tsuzuku (To be continued.) 

Author's Note: Yes, I'm a Jin-Roh fan. I hope it wasn't that obvious. .; 

Actually, I bet it was, for those of you who have seen the movie. .; 

That's about all I have to say. If you read this story, please review it. I'm kinda disappointed I only got two reviews for the last chapter. ;-; 

And I'm trying so hard, even with a broken toe and mild case of the flu. ;-; 


	10. A new beginning

If I owned Naruto I wouldn't be living off of cafeteria food at my college, now would I? >. All other characters are original, and mine. But you can borrow them if you e-mail me and ask politely. . 

Changing Times 

Chapter Ten: A new beginning. 

Naruto glared at the man standing before him, anger flashing in his eyes. Though he was no longer host to the Kyuubi, he was still one of the most powerful ninja in all of Konoha, and he was not about to let Sasuke forget it. 

His entire life he had been jealous of the Uchiha. He had had a family, even if it had been slaughtered when he was seven, where Naruto had had none. He had received sympathy from the village for the tragedy, where Naruto had been spurned. 

And last but not least, he had been able to raise his family in peace, where Naruto could not. He had eight children, and a wife, but had thrown that all away with his arrogance. Forgetting how lucky he was, flaunting it in Naruto's face even as the blonde had mourned the loss of his own, and destroyed it all because of a temper tantrum. 

"Do you have anything to say?" Naruto hissed, glaring at his long time rival, "Any explanation you would like to give Kakashi or your wife as to _why_ the two children are missing?" 

"Hinata has made movements to divorce me. She is my wife no longer," Sasuke whispered, staring at the floor, "And Setsuko was not Kakashi's daughter, she was your child." 

"My daughter died with my wife five years ago!" Naruto screamed, his voice cracking, "And don't you _ever_ dare remind me of that again!" 

The two man stared each other down, anger and fury raging in both eyes as each fought mentally for superiority. Neither winning, the contest interrupted by a pounding on the door. 

"Come in," Naruto snapped, his eyes going to Honda Uchiha, the young boy's face flushed from running. 

"Hokage," the teenager panted, he had only been made gennin a year before, "They found evidence of Akira and Setsuko in one of the smaller villages," Sasuke's eyes widened, and Naruto let out a sigh of relief that both were obviously still alive, "They're alone." 

The last two words sent chills up the blonde's spine as he realized what they meant. The world was cruel and harsh, especially for two young children out alone. Just because they were fairly well trained young ninjas meant nothing if they came across a missing-nin. 

And undoubtedly they would. 

"I want two ANBU squads sent out, and I want them brought back _alive_," Naruto snapped, two ANBU at the door nodded, looking toward Sasuke, "They are not missing-nin, and they are not to be treated as such. And _he_ will not be going with you." 

"But he's my son too!" Sasuke shouted, slamming his fist on the desk, Honda backing out of the room quickly. 

"He stopped being your son the instant you tried killing him! You have no right to him, or any of his brothers or Hinata! And don't you forget it," the Hokage growled, staring straight into the sharingen without a sign of fear, "And you will do well to remember that in the future." 

Sasuke growled angrily, but turned away from his long time rival's glare, leaving the room first. He knew that he had lost the battle the instant he had made the mistake of reminding Naruto of Setsuko's true heritage. It was a subject that had become taboo amongst the few people who remembered, Naruto ordering it swept into the back of the history books after Tenten's death. 

"Father, Mama said to give you this," Honda whispered, handing his father a pouch and a scroll, "And for you to never to return without her permission." 

"Thank you, Honda. I am still allowed to see you and your brothers though, right?" Sasuke asked nervously, shifting the money in the pouch to test its weight. He already knew the scroll was the deed to small apartment on the opposite end of town from the Uchiha residence 

"We would rather you not," Honda mumbled nervously, "You scare us Father. You scare all of us." 

Sasuke stared at his son in shock. Those words were not the explanation he had expected, nor wanted. 

"I didn't mean to hurt Akira," Sasuke tried to explain as his young son, watching in horror as the child backed away, "Please, Honda, you have to believe me!" 

"I'm sorry Father, but Mama wants me home within five minutes. She will send Zatoichi and Musashi out to kill you if you detain me," Honda whimpered, backing away from Sasuke's advancing hands. 

"Please, Honda, please," Sasuke sobbed, collapsing to his knees in the dust of an empty street. 

Setsuko stared out at the crowd in the city, awed by the sheer number of people. Konoha was half the size, or less, of the brimming metropolis spreading out before them. And, to be honest, she was slightly frightened. She had never been away from home before, and had never been around so many people. 

"Don't worry, Setsuko, I'll protect you," Akira smiled, straightening his shirt. 

"I don't need protection from anyone anymore Akira," Setsuko smiled, looking up at the Uchiha with a faded grin in her eyes, "But I'll protect you this time." 

Akira laughed, and grabbed the girls arm, and dashed downward into the city, not a care in the world, already confident that they had thrown all chasers off their track. 

The ANBU captain stared down at the two children playing in the meadow, a ring of flowers in the little girls hair. They had been easy enough to track down, it being rare for two as young as themselves to travel alone through small villages. The ANBU was slightly offended that they hadn't tried to cover their path in any manner. 

He would have to talk to the Hokage later about the training methods used in the Academy, and about their methods of judging the abilities of students. These two were obviously in need of a few years of basic training, not a bad thing for two so young. Some sheltering from the violent ninja world wouldn't be a bad thing. 

He motioned for the his team to move in a capture them, gently. 

"Hey, get off of me!" Akira screamed, thrashing in the ANBU's grip, "Setsuko, SETSUKO!" 

"Don't worry, little Uchiha, we'll take-" the ANBU was cut off as the boy in his arms disappeared in a poof of smoke, the little girl grinning as she, too, vanished. 

"Kage Bunshin! Damnit!" one of the side ANBU cursed, the others groaning. 

Their job had just become infinitely harder. 

Owari (The End) 

Author's Notes: Well, I finally finished this story. Part of it, at least. .; 

Yes, there will be a sequel, I can assure you of that. But I'm going to take at least a week's breather before I begin writing it, mostly because finals are coming up shortly, and I desperately need to pass my math class. 

That, and I need to start piecing together my Temari costume for Kumori Con. I'm really excited about this costume because it's flexible, and I can run around in it without worry of it falling apart or suffocating me. . 

I am a Security mook by day, and Security Night Manager by dark remember, so I honestly need a costume that isn't going to kill me. My Chii costume from this past Sakura Con (where I was on Security duty for 30 hours in three days .; ) nearly killed me with the corset I was wearing within four hours. It wasn't pleasant. .; 

Oh well, that's Con life for you. Security are the true Ninja's at every Anime Convention. They are rarely seen, unless they intend to be, and keep everything running. When programming needs someone to run and get spare DVD's, it's usually Security that picks up the slack. When registration needs more of whatever, it's usually Security that fetches whatever they need. 

From grumpy guests to violent attendee's to medical emergencies it's Security that takes care of everyone's mess. And it's Security that always gets blamed for everything in the end, and loses face. But we are the true ninjas, and we know that, but we always come back for more. It's our duty, and it's our life. 

Keep in mind that 90 people were Security staff at Sakura Con 2004, and there 4500 attendees, and not a single person died, and we only had one medical emergency. We did pretty damn good, if you ask me. 

Sorry about the Convention rant, but I'm still recovering from Sakura Con. It usually takes a good two months for me to recover from staff duty, as it really is a hard job. It restarted my nightmares which led to me start this fic to try and cope with them. 

It didn't help very well, but I did enjoy staying up to write this fic instead of rereading my old manga. .; 

[... Akira screamed, thrashing in the ANBU's grip, "Setsuko, SETSUKO!"...] Heh, Episode 25 of Ghost in the Shell: Standalone Complex. For those of you who have seen the series, you know exactly what I'm getting at with this scene. . (Watch it, it's a GREAT series, comes out on DVD July 27th. ) 


End file.
